


Silent Promises

by Tarlan



Series: Silent World [4]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-08-19
Updated: 2002-08-19
Packaged: 2017-10-20 13:27:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/213266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Safecracker</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silent Promises

Chris took another sip of coffee, smiling softly to himself at his own carefree attitude on this new day. It wasn't often that he felt secure enough to sit with his back to the batwing doors of the saloon, letting the cool morning breeze flow over him. Of course, it would have made more sense to sit facing the door, letting that gentle breeze caress his face but then he would not have been able to take those covert glances at the man who had made today so beautiful.

Vin was leaning up against the bar, talking with JD, but Chris saw the quirk of those full lips every once in a while when their eyes met momentarily. He knew Vin was watching his back, keeping a check on every person who passed by the doors in the street beyond, but those deep blue eyes would lose their sharp focus whenever their eyes met, fading to a hazy, soft glow. Chris grinned into his coffee, taking another small sip of the hot liquid.

Last night had been one of the rare times when both of them had been free all night. They had used it as an excuse to light out of town on the pretext of putting some distance between themselves and their duty to the townsfolk. Everyone seemed to understand Vin's need to be alone, away from prying eyes and civilization and, fortunately, they also seemed to understand a similar reticence for civilization within him. They had set up camp just a few miles away, beneath a small copse of trees struggling to survive near the trickle of water from an almost dried up stream. The sun had set quickly but they had worked swiftly to collect wood for a small fire, spreading their bedrolls over the dusty ground before quickly removing every stitch of clothing.

It had seemed so long since they had last spent more than a few sweaty minutes together. His lips tingled at the memory of the kisses bestowed by his lover. The fleeting butterfly kisses as Vin explored every inch of his body, the demanding kisses as Vin's tongue thrust deep into his mouth in rhythm with the thrusts of Vin's hardened flesh within his ass. He recalled the powerful kisses of possession that had raised massive bruises trailing over his throat and collarbone, fortunately now hidden by the dark shirt and duster.

Chris smiled into his coffee once more as he recalled the feel of Vin's smooth skin brushing against his own as they rocked together to a second mutually satisfying climax.

If only... the thought was broken off as a small girl carrying a large cigar box walked passed him. Cries of "Olivia," came from familiar voices in the street beyond and Chris placed down the remainder of his coffee and stood up as Buck and Nathan stepped into the saloon. He frowned as Nathan berated the girl, wondering what she had to do with the two men he had sent off to collect a prisoner on Mrs. Travis's behalf. Buck glared at him, seemingly exasperated with the small child.

"You said it'll be a fast pick-up. This is the package we ended up with."

"Prisoner's a female."

Chris had a feeling they were not referring to the small girl standing in front of him. His good mood vanished at the thought of having sent them out there unaware of what to expect and, ignoring Buck's comment about babysitters, he strode out of the saloon.

He spotted Mrs. Travis across the street, copies of the latest edition of her newspaper held in her arms as she made her way along the boardwalk to deliver them to various townsfolk. He fell in step beside her.

"Should have told me it was a woman they were picking up."

"Didn't think it mattered."

Chris tried not to show how appalled he was by her attitude. For someone living out on the frontier she was dangerously ignorant on occasion.

"What a man don't know can get him killed."

"Come Mr. Larabee. You should read my paper. There's new money in town. Making progress."

Her condescending attitude destroyed what little remained of his good mood as she thrust a paper into his hands. He gave it a derisory glance, trying not to clench his fists around the paper and screwing her written words into a tight ball, and forcing back an urge to hand it right back to her unread. Instead he resorted to a bitter murmur which, unfortunately, reached her sharp hearing.

"Too much progress."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm beginning to feel out of place."

Chris stalked off without glancing back or giving her any further explanation, afraid that he might say far more than he intended if he stayed any longer. He did like Mary Travis, might even consider her a friend in some way, but he had to admit that her lack of foresight riled him. He had spent most of his life watching his back, trying to keep one step ahead of those who would see him put six feet under. His own lack of vigilance had left his family dead and, even three years later, he had still to resolve the guilt he felt at having left them unprotected while he went off searching for a good stallion to add to the ranch. He should have taken Sarah and Adam along with him, or he should have swallowed his pride and taken them to Hank, her father, but he had only intended to be away overnight, or for a few days at most. He decided against going back to the saloon, not wanting Vin to see him in this rotten mood, and made his way over to the livery to check on his horse.

****

Vin frowned.

Seeing Chris's good mood vanish was like watching black clouds drawn across the sun on a bright, summer's day. He had been basking in the warm glow of those green eyes as they sought his covertly, glorying in the memory of Chris writhing beneath him as he possessed him fully. The blond hair had glowed almost silver in the starlight, the pale flesh luminescent; a fine sheen of sweat glistening from their exertions. The crackle of the small fire had blended with the soft moans of pleasure falling from kiss-swollen lips as they had found that moment of completion in each other's arms. The night had been one of near perfection; just him, Chris and the stars high above them. All that had been needed to have made it true perfection was a balmy summer night where they could have lain under just the blanket of stars - and the knowledge that they could stay in that place, in each other's arms, forever.

His own lighthearted mood fell away as Chris stormed out of the saloon without a backwards glance, and his eyes followed the tiny source of Chris's mood change as the girl walked away from her arguing babysitters to stand beside one of the gamblers at Ezra's table. He turned away, ordering a drink even though it was still early in the day but a raised voice drew him back around.

"Saying I cheated?"

"No. I'm saying you cheated badly."

Ezra's honeyed southern tone filled the silence within the room and, moments later, the man was on his feet, one hand reaching for the gun at his hip but Ezra was faster, that small derringer which he kept hidden up his sleeve, leaping into his outstretched hand. By the time the man started to glance around the saloon, Vin had the mare's leg in his own hand, finger poised on the trigger. He could see the fear in the man's eyes, his lip curling in a feral grin as the man recognized the good sense in making a retreat, taking his two companions with him.

Vin breathed a small sigh of relief then a deeper one of regret. This had started out as such a beautiful day but he had a feeling it was now shaping up as something far different. As he watched Buck storm from the saloon he gave a wry grin. At least he and Chris were not the only ones to have this wonderful day turn sour on them. He turned back to the bar and ordered that drink, downing it in one and grimacing as the rotgut whiskey burned a path from his mouth to his stomach. He was about to consider a second shot when JD burst into the saloon with the small girl still in tow.

"They've taken Buck and her mama."

****

Despite the circumstances, it felt good to be out riding with Vin by his side. The stifling atmosphere in the town had been dragging him down for the past week, especially following the incident with Lydia and her working girls. He had never enjoyed the hustle and bustle of towns and couldn't understand why anyone would choose to live like that. He had been brought up on a small farm in Indiana and, though he had raced through the nearby town with all the impetuosity of untamed youth, he'd always returned to the peace of his parents' home once the whiskey wore off. Sarah had tamed much of the wildness within him with her gentleness and strength of spirit, and it had seemed so logical to set up their home away from the townsfolk.

He had watched his father grow old before his time as he struggled from year to year to put food on the family table, fighting to keep the birds and insects from the seeds and seedlings in the sowing season; trying to survive the droughts in summer then racing to beat the heavy rains before they destroyed what little crop had survived. It was a hard life, one that Chris had decided against from a very early age, much to his father's despair. Instead he had invested what little money he had in the only aspect of farming he had enjoyed; horse rearing, and he left the farm for his brother.

He thought about that spot of land just beyond the town. He had filed a homestead claim on the small pond and the river feeding it, paying what amounted to more than a full month's pay in fees to register that claim and had gained a favorable reply. Now all he needed was time to build the requisite 12x12 dwelling.

It had seemed so strange at the time, feeling that echo from the past as he recalled how he and Sarah had filed separately on two parcels of adjoining land out by Eagle Bend, building their ranch house straddling the boundary. Adam had been born in that house, had taken his first steps on its wooden flooring. They had spent more than five happy years there - before the fire - so, technically, he still owned that piece of land even though he had not been back in three years. He knew he ought to sell it but, some how, he just couldn't bear the thought of giving up the land where Sarah and Adam had lived, loved and died.

Chris gazed across at the silent man riding beside him. He wondered if he ought to mention the land he had claimed but then decided that it would be better if he waited until the ownership papers arrived. As his eyes ranged over the scruffy looking ex-bounty hunter, he grinned, letting the past slip away. Although he would never forget Sarah and Adam, he would never totally give up the search for their killers, he recognized now that they were the Past. Vin had shown him that he could have a Present - and maybe even a Future too.

That thought brought a smile to his face as he wondered what it would be like to grow old with Vin by his side. He pulled his thoughts up short, bitterly remembering those same dreams he had shared with Sarah, how he had envisaged them sitting by the fire while their great-grandchildren played around at their feet.

Any further thought was halted as they came to a small stand of trees near the crown of a rolling hill. Vin pulled out the spyglass from his coat pocket and raised it to one eye, squinting as he focused on the scene far below where a group of five riders were making reasonable speed.

"Crossing the border."

Chris considered their options. There were five riders but, as one of those was Buck and another Mrs. Greer, that left only three hostiles. He and Vin had faced far greater odds than this on the first day they met.

"Odds are right. Let's take them."

"Odds have changed."

Chris accepted the spyglass from Vin and focused on the new group of riders.

"Shoot." He handed the spyglass back to Vin. "I guess we'll have to wait till they get settled in down there."

However, the group made no attempt to stop and set up a camp, pushing on deeper in Mexico instead. Chris pursed his lips, knowing they had no option but to follow. He glanced over as Vin spoke dryly.

"How's your Spanish?"

"No bueno. Yours?"

"What's _no bueno_ mean?"

Chris gave a wry grin that matched the one on Vin's face, uncertain if Vin was fooling with him or being totally honest about his knowledge of the language. They urged their horses onward, following behind the far larger group at a safe distance. It was still a beautiful day, the temperature remaining at a comfortable level for the time of year, with a small breeze picking up from time to time to cool them down even further.

****

Vin eased his horse to a halt and he drew his canteen from the saddle, un-stoppered it and took a healthy swallow of the warm water before passing it over to Chris. As Chris murmured his thanks, Vin found his attention drifting over to the lean frame of his companion, wishing he could reach across and pull Chris from the saddle, throwing him to the dusty ground and slaking a different kind of thirst. The mischievous glint in those green eyes let him know that Chris was sharing the same thought, a silent promise flowing between them that, once they had retrieved Buck, then they would figure out a way to make that wish come true.

After reattaching the canteen to his saddle, Vin urged his horse onwards once more. They drew to a halt just below the crest of a hill that overlooked a small Mexican town.

"Purgatorio. When I was a bounty hunter, I chased a few desperadoes here but it's so overrun with outlaws no body wearing a star'll come within a bullet's distance. A real hellhole."

"Sounds like fun."

Vin glanced across, his heart flipping at the smile that lit up the handsome features, recognizing the free spirit that had attracted him to Chris Larabee in the first place. He had noticed that Chris had become more and more tense as the weeks wore by, afraid that it had something to do with him but now he realized it had more to do with the town. In the month since they had taken on the peacekeeping role, the violence in the town had dropped steadily. On the very few occasions when a passing trail herd had drawn the cowboys into town, the Seven had been there to enforce the peace, filling the jail with any miscreants. Even the Saturday nights had become less dangerous as the hands working the nearby ranches took their rowdiness to other places sporting far livelier saloons. Despite this, the town had become far busier as nearby settlers took advantage of the safer streets to travel into the town for supplies rather than take longer round trips to Eagle Bend or Bitter Creek.

Vin had to admit that the increased business was beneficial to the townsfolk, especially the good people like the recently widowed Mrs. Potter. Only a few short weeks ago she had been on the verge of packing onto a wagon what few possessions she could carry, forced to close the hardware store and take her children away to safety. This month of peace had bought her a chance of a far better life. He smiled as he thought of the kind woman who had been trying to adopt him since the day he arrived in the town. She was always baking him pies or plying him with candy, indulging him as if he were one of her children rather than a near stranger. He knew there was no sexual intent behind her kindness, her attitude being more maternal in nature but, still, he wondered what she might say or do if she ever learned about the relationship he had with Chris.

This was the one problem with an ever-changing frontier, the lack of tolerance that came with the settlers who brought their families out West with the promise of land to sweeten the hardship of the journey. According to their beliefs, what he and Chris did together was a grievous sin, and they would be cast into the pit for such unnatural acts.

Vin found himself grinning. According to those same beliefs, he was already headed for hell because of other wrongdoing in his past. Vin appraised the lean figure openly, remembering the perfection of the body lying beneath the layers of clothing. He felt his body respond to the memory of holding that perfection in his arms, his mouth becoming dry as he recalled the firm planes of muscle lying beneath the silky, ivory flesh. Last night he had tried to map every line and curve of the well-defined body with his lips, cherishing every ridge of bone, and every hollow. He wanted to reach across and undo the tightly buttoned shirt, wanted to see the mottled evidence of his own passion that would be still visible on the pale throat.

He almost laughed aloud. If he was already going to hell then there was no point denying himself the wonder of possessing and being possessed by this man.

"Well. We're going to hell anyway you look at it." Chris's answering grin, and the heat in his eyes, affirmed that they were sharing their silent world once more, where words became unnecessary, leaving them making silent promises of more joy to come once they had recovered Buck from this hellhole. "Come on."

****

Chris let his eyes drift cautiously from one unsavory character to another as he and Vin rode into the small but lively town. Although it had sounded like fun a few minutes earlier, now he realized that this was not what he wanted in his life, and certainly not with Vin. Vin was already a marked man, the 500-dollar bounty on his head making him a worthy target for any of the unkempt men standing or sprawled on the streets of Purgatorio. He listened as Vin revealed a little more of his past, cherishing each little scrap as it was offered.

"Last time I was here, run into a gunslinger named Bob Harper."

"The Bob Harper?"

"Uh-huh."

"What happened?"

"Just say it was a bad time for his gun to stick."

Chris grinned. He had heard of Harper; a real sonuvabitch that went out of his way to find someone to kill. Most often it was some youngster or some poor cuss who could barely hold a gun, deliberately forcing them into a fast-draw they had no chance of winning. He had heard someone had finally bested Harper down Mexico way but had never realized it was the man traveling by his side who had done the besting. His stomach flipped suddenly as he recalled his own words regarding Harper and, more importantly, Vin's. Had Harper called out Vin under some stupid pretext? Forcing the younger man to face him on a matter of honor? New words spun around his head. What if the gun hadn't stuck? Could Vin have been fast enough to take Harper?

Unlikely.

Chris swallowed hard, realizing that Vin had almost met his death in these very streets. A commotion brought him away from those thoughts and he watched with increasing distaste as a crippled man tried to hobble away fast only to be shot clean in the back. The killer flipped a silver dollar at a waiting Mexican and Chris had to swallow the bile that had risen as the Mexicans descended upon the still-warm corpse like a pack of ravenous dogs.

"Least they keep the streets clean."

He glanced at Vin and frowned, noticing that Vin had pulled his hat lower.

"Ugly cuss who was shot?"

Chris made a small questioning response.

"Took him in once. Ugly cuss who shot him? Took him in too. His whole gang knows me."

Even if the sight of a man being shot in the back and then descended upon by a pack of human vultures had not been enough to turn his stomach, then the thought of Vin lying in that dead man's place was.

"Stick around here and you're gonna be deader than a beaver hat."

"I'll take that chance."

"I won't." Chris replied softly as the vision of Vin's lifeless body filled his head. He could read the indecision in Vin's eyes, and he knew his lover was at odds over what he should do for the best. Chris knew Vin would not want to leave him, especially in a town such as this, but Vin had to accept that Chris was an unknown here, and that he was capable of looking after himself. "You get on back to town. If we're not there by morning, you come hunting."

As they clasped hands, Vin stared at him for a moment that seemed to stretch into infinity, making a silent promise that he would take those words literally. Chris had a feeling that Vin would track him to the ends of the earth if it came to it, the feeling sending sweet spikes of pleasure through his entire being; both body and spirit. Eventually he had to pull away from the clasp, aware that Vin was reluctant to let go but knowing they would arouse suspicion if they lingered too much longer.

He turned away instantly, not daring to look back even though he could feel those blue eyes boring a hole in his back. By the time he had dismounted and had tied his horse to the hitching post, Vin had turned and ridden away.

****

Vin kept up a slow but steady pace as he pressed his horse on towards the town. He knew he could not make it back until after nightfall and that it might make more sense to stop and set up camp for the night, but he had made a silent promise to Chris. He would go to the town, he would settle his horse and then he would wait impatiently for the first rays of sun to streak across the sky.

If there was no sign of Chris then he would saddle up and head straight back for Purgatorio, and he'd kill anyone there who got in his way as he picked up the trail that would lead him to Chris.

What if he gets killed there?

Vin refused to dwell on that possibility. Chris was strong enough to take care of himself, and fast enough too. Even if someone recognized him as the famous Chris Larabee the outlaws were unlikely to call out this legendary gunfighter. Most were a cowardly bunch of yahoos, trying to be tough but sensible enough to know who to pick a fight with - and who to leave well enough alone.

Still, there was always some hothead with a reputation to build who might decide Chris was a good step up that ladder.

"Don't think about it."

Vin pressed on harder, ignoring the snort of annoyance from his tired horse, letting his mind move to far more pleasurable thoughts. He was lying with Chris once more, under that canopy of stars. He could feel the heat of his lover's body pressed so tightly against his own as they rocked together, could feel the hardened shaft rubbing against his belly, nudging against his own engorged flesh. If he closed his eyes then he could see the glazed expression in the lust-darkened eyes, could visualize the starlight glinting off white teeth as small gasps of pleasure fell from the slightly parted, kiss-ripened lips. Strong fingers had tracked down his body, cupping his ass cheeks and holding him close, his own hands a perfect mirror. The nerve endings in his fingers and palms began to tingle in memory of the firm, silken flesh he had held so tightly as they rocked together, seeking that sweet moment of fulfillment.

He remembered the small cry that heralded the flood of hot, sticky fluid between their close-pressed bodies, his own senses overloading when he realized it was a name spilling from those lips: his name.

Vin spurred his horse, sending him into a gallop. He had to get back to town as quickly as possible, had to rest so he could strike out at first light.

"Should never have left you there alone, Cowboy."

A few minutes later, Vin eased his horse up having ridden out some of the demons that were trying to cling to him. He let the horse pick his own slow pace for the remainder of the journey, closing his own mind to any concerns for Chris--until morning. Once the town came into sight, Vin picked up the pace, cantering into town and heading straight for the church where Josiah would be watching over Mrs. Greer's small daughter. He knew, instantly, that the child was not there and nudged Josiah's foot.

An almost derisory glance over at Ezra made the slow-reacting gambler fall back on the bed he had made for himself.

"Howdy, Boys."

When they realized they had lost the girl, they started searching immediately. Vin strode up the main street, heading for Mrs. Potter's store just in case Olivia had decided to look in the window at the pretty items on display. A gunshot sent him racing back towards the church.

"I got your gun, Kid."

He grabbed JD's gun from the boardwalk where it had fallen from JD's trembling fingers then eased himself under JD's left side, helping Ezra support JD's weight. Nathan was already at the door of the church, waiting for them, so they lowered JD down onto the floor of the church and let the bigger man start his ministrations. Vin breathed a silent sigh of relief when Nathan let them know it wasn't a bad wound. The tip of the knife had only gone in less than an inch, and Vin could only be thankful that the cold night had meant they were all wearing a few more layers of clothing. Now he knew JD was going to be all right, Vin knew they had to resume the search for Olivia Greer.

"Nathan? Look after JD. Rest of us... keep searching for the girl."

He turned as another figure burst through the doors, his hand moving away from the mare's leg when he realized it was Buck. A thousand thoughts spun through his mind on seeing Buck's tall form hovering over them, concern written across his face as he stared at JD's pale features.

"What happened?"

"Long story," came Ezra's almost laconic response but Vin had his own concerns as the fear that kept him riding hard part of the way back to town came crashing back down upon him.

"Where's Chris?"

"With the gang. On his way to rob the bank."

"What!" Nathan's exclamation gave Vin time enough to pull himself together. Chris was safe, that was all that mattered but he knew Chris was expecting them to have Terry Greer's daughter some place safe and secure. They had to find her.

"Well. Come on. We got to find Olivia."

Vin had barely left the church before he heard the sound of many horses slowly entering from the other end of town. He thought they might have a few hours yet but it seemed Morgan Coltrane was determined to get this bank robbery over with quickly.

Vin moved into the shadows and watched as the horses came to a little way beyond the bank, feeling his heart quicken as he recognized the figure riding beside Coltrane: Chris. He found Josiah standing by his side and told him to get Nathan. They would need as many guns as they could muster once Chris made his move.

****

When he rode into the town, Chris had presumed that Olivia Greer would be in the safe hands of his fellow lawkeepers so it was a shock to see her small face pressed up against the window above the saloon. He knew the Boys would be looking for her, and were probably hiding in the shadows, so he made sure his own head movements indicated her position. All he had to do now was play along with the robbery until he knew they had her safe once more.

His thoughts back to the cantina in Purgatorio, remembering how he had acted like a madman in order to save Buck's life. It was fortunate Buck was trusting enough to play along with the act of a vengeful brother. Chris rubbed at his sore palm, deciding he had better let Nathan take a look at it once this was all over. It had been all he could think of at the time, pulling aside his leather glove, covertly, and dragging the rough edge of hot barrel over the palm of his left hand, scoring the flesh. He had pressed the bloodied hand to Buck's chest, to finish the illusion of a man who had been shot dead. Although the ragged tear was no longer bleeding so profusely, he could feel the stickiness inside the glove. The blood had seeped into the fingers too, making the last several hours in the saddle an ordeal as he kept up the pretense of there being nothing wrong with either hand.

Chris made sure he was one of the men who attacked the guard, knocking the man unconscious before the knife-happy gang member could slit the guard's throat. He was surprised that Coltrane was so willing to trust a man he had never seen before today, not only bringing him into the gang but also letting him go into the bank with the safecracker. Then he realized that this was the one place where Coltrane could effectively keep an eye of his latest recruit.

Beside him, Terry Greer had opened the bank's outer door with ease, her lithe frame slipping through the door to start work on the thick steel bars that caged the vault. He recalled her words to him after the scene with Buck.

_Whatever he did to your brother, you didn't have to kill him._

He had cracked a joke about Buck being in a better place now, one that had meant nothing to her at the time but he hoped she would remember it now. He leaned forward, speaking softly so only she would hear.

"Mary Travis is a friend of mine and Buck Wilmington is not dead. His death was staged. I don't have time to explain."

He could feel the indecision as she stiffened beside him, trying to decide whether or not to trust this stranger who must have seemed so violent to her only moments before. Something must have convinced her to take a chance on him, probably the mention of Mrs. Travis.

"What'll I do?"

"Play it out."

"Let's go people."

Morgan Coltrane was far closer than Chris expected but his words indicated that he had not overheard their exchange. As the safecracker pulled out a stethoscope, Chris let his thoughts wander to the scene outside. He had not seen Vin when he rode into town but he had sensed his presence near at hand. It was a comforting thought, knowing that Vin was out there, no doubt waiting in the shadows for the right moment to end this attempted robbery. In his mind's eye he recalled his last image of Vin, and the silent promise written across the handsome face that he would hunt for Chris to the very ends of the Earth should Chris not return to town before morning. It made him realize how deep their relationship had become in just a few short weeks, but was it deep enough to last or would it, like the light on fuse wire, spark strongly but last such a short time. And their relationship? Would it splutter out or would it end with an explosion of bad feeling? At this moment in time he hoped they would ride together, in and out of bed, forever but he had seen similar hopes dashed to pieces in the past.

The vault door clicked open bringing Chris back to the problem at hand. As he grabbed wads of paper money, stuffing them into the bag he held, Chris imagined what he could do with such wealth. He could have bought that strip of land outright for just a few of these cash bundles and still had enough over to stock the place with fine breeding horses. The temptation disappeared as quickly as it came, beaten down by the strong principles in which he believed and, truth be told, if that was what he truly wanted then he could have that dream without resorting to robbery. After all, it was the same dream he had shared with Sarah and Adam.

Would Vin want to share that dream with him?

When they had filled the bags they stepped back onto the street and Chris knew the time had come to fight back. Olivia was safe. He grabbed Mrs. Greer and pulled her to safety, pulling his gun and shooting at the saddled figures of the gang. Other gunshots joined his as battle commenced. Through his peripheral vision he saw one man yanked from his horse as a lasso tightened around him, but Chris could not spare the time to make eye contact with Vin. He could see Morgan Coltrane turning on horseback at the far end of the street. The man spurred his horse into a gallop, racing towards Chris, gun blazing. In a moment of sheer lunacy, Chris stepped into plain view, standing his ground and shooting at the fast approaching target. He knew his shots were hitting flesh but it was not until the third shot that Coltrane finally fell from his horse to lie dead in the street among other members of his gang.

Vin raced to his side having passed over his prisoner to Josiah, his face a tight mask of anger and Chris was intelligent enough to realize why.

"You could have got yourself killed. Standing there like... like..."

A flare of anger ignited inside but Chris bit back the retort, realizing that Vin's anger was borne out of caring. perhaps even love. He had become so used to facing danger head on in the open street, quietly assessing the man who might kill him as his hand hovered over the gun in his holster, waiting for the other man to make his draw. This gun battle with Morgan Coltrane had seemed no different from those other times.

The anger died away as if Vin had reached into their silent world and snatched those thoughts from his head.

"Just worried for you, Pard." Vin looked away, embarrassed by his outburst.

"Let's get these men to the jail. Then we can talk."

****

Vin pushed another stick onto the campfire then reached out to fill his battered tin mug with more of the strong brew. He offered the pot to Chris, carefully filling the mug that was extended towards him. The moon was a mere sliver of light hanging high above the earth, offering very little luminescence, so the stars shone brightly. A thin trail of smoke from the fire clouded the view from time to time but the brilliance of the night sky always returned to awe him with its full glory.

They had ridden for almost an hour to reach this secluded spot but it had been worth it. Starlight reflected off the calm surface of a small pond, and the only sound above the crackling of the fire was the rippling of the slow moving river feeding it.

It was a glorious night, just like the one two nights before but Vin felt there was something different between them this night. He waited patiently, wondering what was on Chris's mind but knowing it did no good trying to force him. Chris would reveal his thoughts and secrets when he was good and ready.

"Thinking of settling down here."

Vin felt a terrible sinking inside, as if his heart had sunk in his chest.

"In the town?"

"Not quite. Registered a parcel of land nearby. Ain't much but it has water, good grazing..." His voice trailed off as Chris looked deeply into Vin's eyes. "Figured you might care for some place to stay when the nights get too cold."

Vin placed his mug onto the ground, watching the play of firelight on the strong face. The streaks of gold in the sun-kissed hair flickered red and orange, and licks of flames reflected back from the large dark pupils of the eyes that held his. He saw a small smile play about the soft lips.

"Figured we'd both like some place to stay on cold nights... or any other night... away from prying eyes."

The smile became a grin as Vin found a silly smile of his own stretching across his face. He reached across and drew a bottle of whiskey from his saddlebag, uncorked it with his teeth and slopped some into his empty mug. He held out the bottle, grinned when Chris threw away the dregs of his coffee then poured whiskey into the offered mug. Chris waited while he returned the bottle, a small frown creasing his forehead but he grinned when Vin raised his mug to offer a toast.

"To your new home."

"To our new home... if that's what you want."

A new thought crept into Vin's head and he gave Chris an evil grin. "Let's ride out to your new land and... mark it."

The answering grin put the brilliance of the stars to shame.

"No need to, Vin. We're already here."

Vin raised his head, eyes darting first one way then another, surveying what he could see within the starlight. He downed the last of the whiskey and dropped the mug on the ground then he reached for Chris, taking the mug from his lover's hand and placing it aside. He drew Chris to him, softly nuzzling the strands of fire-highlighted hair, his lips grazing his lover's. Chris murmured gently, his words interspersed with quiet moans of appreciation.

"So... How do you... wanna... mark... this land?"

Vin licked his lips slowly. "Don't see no virgin's around here, Cowboy. For a sacrifice to the land, like in Josiah's tales. So I reckon we're just gonna have to make a different mark."

"Got any ideas?"

"Maybe one or two."

"Care to share?"

"Heard Ezra spouting about fertility rites?"

"Fertility rites? Any in particular?"

"Mentioned some tribe that blessed the land by... Hmm... yeah... something like that."

Vin moaned as a talented mouth latched onto the nipple Chris had been slowly exposing. He fell backwards, sighing as Chris followed him down, that tongue twisting and flicking over the sensitive nub. Sharp teeth bit down hard, drawing a hiss of pleasure mixed with pain, before the velvet tongue lapped at the sore mark. Vin groaned, arching his back as a thumb and forefinger assaulted the other nipple. He felt the other hand moved to his pants, deftly opening the buttons before sliding inside to grasp his rapidly hardening flesh. A callused thumb smeared precome over the sensitive tip, sending a ripple of pleasure flowing through nerves until he was tingling all over. He sucked in a deep breath as Chris's mouth sucked and bit slowly down towards the shaft, crying out softly as he was enclosed within the heat of Chris's mouth. The hand held his shaft firm while an inquisitive tongue stroked across the head, delving into the slit and rubbing over the glans, sending fresh spikes of passion through his body.

Vin cried out in loss when the heat of that mouth left him, feeling the coldness of the night air on his aching shaft. He watched through narrow slits as Chris pulled off his boots and pants, licking dry lips as he waited for his lover to return to him. Other familiar sounds filled the air; the metallic clink of the small tin of grease being opened and closed, the rustle of cloth being removed. The cold air was beginning to raise goosebumps on his flesh, his erection wilting from the cold and a lack of attention but the blood raced to refill him when Chris straddled his body.

Vin frowned, trying to drag his pants down over his hips, but Chris grabbed his wrist before leaning down to kiss him firmly. Vin moaned into the hot mouth as his shaft was taken in the other hand then gasped, eyes opening wide, as he felt a tighter sheath settle over him, sliding down until he was fully enclosed in a hot, tight channel.

Above him, Chris had thrown back his head, exposing the long column of creamy throat that was still marked by Vin's possessive kisses from those two nights back. He heard the cry of pleasure as Chris rose higher before dropping back down, impaling himself upon Vin's hard shaft. His wrist was released, the strong fingers finding and entwining with his own while Chris's other hand wrapped around his own engorged flesh, pumping in time to the rhythm he was setting above. Vin pushed the hand aside, taking his lover's shaft in his own hand, the pad of his thumb gliding over the sensitive glans with each impalement.

He barely realized that he was arching upwards to meet his lover with every stroke, wanting to be as deep inside that perfect body as he could. Chris was gasping with every thrust, twisting and writhing above him, lost in the willing possession of his body.

"Yesss."

Vin could feel the hot, muscular channel clench tightly around him as the rhythm was lost, the body above writhing to a different beat as his exposed belly and chest were coated in his lover's seed. Moments later, his own body was soaring as he pumped his seed deep into his lover's body, the stars above paling in comparison to the brilliance of the lights sparking inside his head.

When he regained his senses, he discovered the heavy weight draped across his torso, the body still impaled upon his softening shaft. Chris nuzzled against his hair, his lips planting a gentle kiss before he rolled his spent body to Vin's side.

"Shoot."

"Hmm?"

"Ground's damn cold on my bare ass."

Vin chuckled as Chris snagged a blanket and pushed a section beneath him before wrapping the rest over the top of them both.

"Don't know why you're laughing. I'm expecting to see your bare ass in the air for the next round."

"In your dreams, Cowboy. Ain't sticking my ass into this cold air. Not less I have to."

Vin ignored the punch on his arm. Instead, he grabbed hold of Chris and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around the lean frame. They fell into a companionable silence, staring up at the stars high above. Vin realized this land meant a lot to Chris, knew that, after years of wandering and grieving, it was his way of finding some inner peace. For Vin, only time would tell if he could accept any place as home. People had always meant far more to him than places ever could and, dreamily, he wondered whether Chris would understand that he would stay only because Chris was there: Chris was his home. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft murmur.

"How cold do you reckon that pond is, Vin?"

"Too cold."

Vin felt the curve of a smile against his neck, and he made a silent promise that Chris would find out just how cold that pond was if tried to throw him in it.

THE END


End file.
